Cleaning implement



Aug. 26, 1924.;

G. J. KELLY CLEANING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 16, 1922 Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. KELLY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLEANING IMPLEMENT.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cleaning Implements, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in an improved implement for cleaning, coloring, etc., suede or the like footwear, as well as other arti cles, through the application of cleaning or coloring material in the form of powder, with a rubbing action.

My invention is embodied in an imple ment such as aforesaid comprising, essentially, a Working face of yielding frictional material having one or more pockets adapted to be occupied by the powder which is used, such pockets adapted to confine the powder, as delivered, within the space covered by the working face of the implement while the said face is held in contact with the said surface and being rubbed upon the same; a reservoir for a supply of the said powder; a valve-member or closure controlling the outflow of powder from the reservoir into the pocket or pockets of the working face, manually-operable into an open position to enable the powder to be delivered at will and in the quantity required to the surface operated upon, a stirrer within the reservoir moving in unison with the valve-member and a spring operatively combined with the valve and stirrer, by which the valve normally is held in closed position, and by which, also, after the valve and stirrer have been moved manually in the direction to open the passages to the pockets the combined valve and stirrer automatically are moved reversely to return the valve to closed position. Through the action of the spring in producing automatically a reverse movement of the stirrer, it is made possible to bring about an effective loosening and stirring up of the contents of the reservoir, especially through permitting the stirrer to snap back with a quick energetic action.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which latter,-

Fig. l is an elevation of such embodiment,

16, 1922. Serial No. 588,590.

with portions broken away to show construction.

Fig. 2 shows the cover (partly broken away) which is provided for the purpose of covering the working face of the head when the implement is not in use.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the head and its working face.

F 4 is a bottom view of the perforated diaphragm, associated valve-member, and valve-actuating spring.

As shown in the drawings,-

The handle 1 of the implement is cylindrical, and is hollow, so that it serves as a reservoir for the powder. It is provided at its upper end with a cap 2, Fig. 1. The said cap may be fixed in place permanently after the reservoir has been filled; or it may be removable, to provide for refilling. The reservoir is closed at the bottom thereof by means of a diaphragm 3, Figs. 1 and 4, which is attached to the lower end of the handle. Holes 4, 4, Fig. 4, through the said diaphragm provide for passage of the powder downward out of the reservoir. Below the diaphragm 3 the working face 5 and its backing plate 6, Figs. 1 and 3, are located, they being attached to the diaphragm. At 8, 8, are the pockets which are provided in the said working face, to receive powder from the reservoir and retain it while the implement is being used in rubbing the powder over and into the surface which is being operated upon. Holes 61, 61 in the backing plate 6 register with the said pockets. Such holes and pockets are in line vertically with the holes a, at, in the diaphragm 3.

The working face 5 is composed of a piece of felt, of suitable density for the intended use, and of a thickness proper to enable pockets of the requisitedepth to be formed therein.

The valve-member 9 is of sheet-material, su.ch as sheet-metal or the like, and is formed with holes 91, 91, for the passage of powder through it. It is mounted in working position between the underside of diaphragm 3 and the top of the backing plate 6. A. head 10 projecting from the said underside serves as a spacing means to hold the backing plate at a suitable distance from the diaphragm to accommodate the said valvemember between the two, and permit it to work with the required freedom, at the same time that the valve-member is held against the diaphragm with sufficient snugness to enable the valve-member, in its closed position, to prevent outflow of powder through holes t, 4:.

The valve-member is engaged with the reduced lower extremity of a shaft 11 occupying the lower portion of the reservoir. The said extremity is reduced to pass through a hole in the diaphragm 3, and is squared and fitted within a squared hole in the valve-member to ensure that the shaft and valve-member shall turn in unison with each other.

An operating arm or finger upon the valve-member, extending outward, affords a. convenient means for manually operating the valve-member. Such. arm or finger has its outer extremity upturned into position to be engaged by the forefinger of the hand in which the implement is held. A pin 19. projecting from diaphragm 3, adjacent one end of bead 10 serves as a stop for the arm or finger 51, to determine the closed position of the valve-member, in which position the holes 91, 91, thereof are out of line with the.

holes 4c, 4, of the diaphragm, and the holes 61, 61, of backing plate 6 of the working face. When the said arm or finger is in contact with the said stop-pin, outflow of powder from the reservoir is prevented. A stop-pin 13 projecting from diaphragm 3 near the other end of the bead determines the open position of the valve-member, in which the holes 91, 91, are in line with holes 4:, 4c, and 61, 61, and flow of powder from the reser voir into pockets 8, 8, in the working face 5 of the implement is permitted. A spiral spring 14., encircling the shaft 11 above the diaphragm 3 and having one end thereof engaged with the diaphragm and the other engaged with the shaft, serves to hold the valve-member in its closed position in contact with stop-pin 13, and to return the valve member to such position after having been moved manually to i s Op n position and then released.

The stirrer within the reservoir is constituted by the shaft 11 and wings 15, 15, mounted thereon. It is located within the lower portion of the reservoir adjacent diaphragm 3. Rotating in unison with the valve-member, in each direction in which the latter turns, the said wings stir the powder so as to loosen it, prevent it from packing above the holes in the diaphragm, and in turning sweep the powder into the said holes, thus assisting in the feeding of the powder.

The handle 1 of the implement stands at an acute angle with relation to the plane of the working face 5, preferably at about 45 as in Fig. 1. This disposition of the handle allows the hand of the user to assume the most convenient and effective position in using the brush, and enables the requisite pressure to be exerted in causing the working face to bear against the surface operated upon. Through the application of the working face, etc., to an oblique: section of the tubular handle I am enabled to provide a larger area of working face, without making the handle undesirably large in crosssection.

A cover, 16, Fig, 2, is provided for the working face, etc., adapted in this instance to fit with frictional engagement upon the periphery of the working face and its backing when the implement is not in use.

The described implement is adapted especially to be used for such work as cleaning, etc., suede shoes, buck shoes, canvas shoes, straw hats, woolen clothing, etc. Advantages thereof are that it enables the powder that is used to be delivered as and when desired, in the proportions desired, and upon the spot which it is desired to operate upon. The supply outlet and the rubbing surface are at practically the same point. The powder that is fed is confined Within the pockets of the working face while being applied to and worked into or over the surface operated upon. The implement therefore is economical in action, especially through enabling the use of an excessive quantity of powder to be avoided, and preventing'loss and'waste of the powder. By supplying and applying the powder at the particular point where needed, and preventing it from flying and scattering about, the implement secures cleanliness and avoids the production of dirt during its use. This is appreciably important in the case of cleaning, etc., suede shoes and the like, which hitherto has been a very dirty operation by reason of the flying and scattering about of the powder used for such purpose. A felt working face has the advantage that it serves very efliciently to rub-press the powder in. It becomes impregnated with the powder, and becomes increasingly better fitted for the intended purpose with use.

The implement is useful for cleaning and polishing silver Ware and other articles of metal.

The construction of an implement embodying the invention may be varied in practice, from that herein shown and described.

Through the employment of the spring 1 1 in conjunction with the movable valvemember and stirrer a quick energetic return movement is caused automatically after the valve member and stirrer have been moved in one direction through pressure of ones finger against the operating arm or projection 51. Thereby the contents of the reservoir may be loosened and stirred up effectively. The operation of pressing the valve member and stirrer around by ones finger and permitting them to snap back may be repeated quickly and conveniently as many times as may be deemed necessary.

What is claimed as the invention is,

1. An implement for purposes substantially as set forth, comprising in combination a working face having pockets, a reservoir for the material which is to be used, having one or more outlets through Which such material may find its way from the reservoir into the said pockets, a manually operable closure or valve-member controlling the outflow from the reservoir through the outlet or outlets and spring-actuated to hold it normally in closed position to prevent out- How of the material, and to return it to such position to shut off outflow after having been moved to open said outlet or outlets to permit the outflow, and a stirrer Within the reservoir connected with the valve-member and automatically actuated by the spring.

2. An implement for purposes substan tially as set forth, comprising in combination a working face having pockets, a reservoir handle to contain the substance to be applied by the implement, disposed at an acute angle to the said working face and having one or more outlets through which such substance may find its way from the reservoir to the said pockets, a valvemember spring-actuated to stand normally in closed position and manually operable to open said outlet or outlets, and a stirrer within said reservoir connected with said Valve-member and automatically actuated by the spring.

3. An implement for purposes substantially as set forth, comprising in combina tion a working face, a perforated diaphragm above said working face, a perforated valve-member spring-actuated to stand normally with its perforations out of line with those through the diaphragm, and manually rotatable to bring its perforations into line with the said perforations in the diaphragm, a handle disposed at an acute angle to the head, having a reservoir to contain the substance applied by the implement, and a stir rer Within the reservoir adjacent the said perforated diaphragm mounted upon the axis of the perforated valve-member and automatically actuated by the spring.

4:. An implement for purposes substantially as set forth, comprising in combination a Working face, a reservoir to contain the substance to be applied by the implement, a rotatable valve-member spring-actu ated to stand normally in closed position, and manually rotatable into open position, and a stirrer within the reservoir rotating in unison with the valve-member and automatically actuated by the sprin GEORGE J. KELLY. 

